Illinois shelving $100M gift to Obama library

Associated Press

May 31, 2014Updated: May 31, 2014 10:38pm

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A plan to offer $100 million in tax dollars to lure Barack Obama's presidential library to Illinois is on the shelf as lawmakers wrapped up their spring session without advancing the idea.

Democrats in the president's home state pushed the proposal to compete against rival bids from Hawaii and New York. But it faced opposition from Republicans wary of an expensive and precedent-setting gift — with no immediately identified funding source — for a mostly private endeavor when the state faces serious financial difficulties.

Not all Democrats were on board, either. Both the Democratic-controlled House and Senate adjourned without calling for any final votes on the measure.

Sponsors of the measure vowed to continue their advocacy, but the initiative now must wait despite a June 16 deadline for host proposals to Obama's library commission.